Machine for splitting open, cleaning, and boning fish



R. BAADER Aug. 18, 1931.

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING OPEN, CLEANING, AND BONING FISH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 17. 1929 Aug. 18, 1931. R. BAADE R 1,819,060

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING OPEN, CLEANING, AND BONING FISH Filed nee. 17. 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 18, 1931. BAADER 1,319,060

MACHINE FOR SPLI'ITING OPEN, CLEANING, AND BONING FISH Filed Dec. 17, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig;14

3 1 Fig.15

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Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES" niononrn amen, or nunncx, GERMANY momma ron srmrrnve ornn,

CLEANING, AND BORING FISH Application filed December 17, 1929, Serial No. 414,651, and in Germany January 7, 1929.

1 This invention relates to a machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning fish, more particularly herrings which may be treated either in fresh state or salted. Inthis machine the decapitated fish is cut open; cleaned and boned, a horizontally revolving plate disc being used therefore, around the peri hery of, which the several tools arearrangerf.

The known tools serve to cut open the belly 1c of the fish, to remove the intestines from the belly cavity, to remove the blackskin from the surface of the belly cavity, and to d'e-v tach and remove the back bone. -Although such tools have been used for treating fish, it has not become known that they failed to work properly, in which case the material treated would collect at the' int of failing and clog the machine. It 1s never theless possible, owing to the differences in the material being, worked, that the fish is tornor miscuts occur, i. e. that the knives penetrate into the fish at the wrong points, as the tools, owing to incorrect, shape or arrangement, do not adapt themselves to all parts of the work, and as it is necessary to removethe fine stomach bones or ribs at the same time as the back bone.

These disadvantages of the known tools for cutting open, cleaning and'boning fish are entirely overcome bythe invention in that the cutting open of the fish belly is effected by means of two known disc-knives operating like shears,'which knives cooperate with a guiding cheek oscillatably connected therewith in such a manner that the section of the bell to be cut off is always of the same width, t at after the cutting open also of the. tail. part, the removal of the black skin-is effected by means of a rotating tool prm vided with roughened, serrated or similar surfaces, which tool penetrates into the cavity of the belly, two resilient discs or the like efl'ecting a counter pressure, and that the removing of the back bone together with the thin belly and back flesh bones is effected by a tool disc with teeth project-ing on each side beyond its circumference in such a. manner that the teeth of the tool disc, rotating in opposite direction as the rotating plate disc which guides the fish, penetrate 1nto the back ggsh (g1 theb'filsii on both sides oi tlfie back ne, e r1 nes enga 'n wit t e a s between teeth, and after t he back bone h s been cut off at the root of the tail, are gnpped by the teeth and pulled out of the esh together with the back bone, whereas the circumference of the tool disc rotates along and on the inner surface of the back bone, whereupon the boned fish can be cut into two so called fillets by a following disc knife.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingidrawings in which ig. 1 is atop plan view of the whole of 05 the machine.

Fig. 2 shows on a larger scale in side elevation the tool for removing the back bone and belly bones.

Fig. 3 is atop plan view of Fi 2.

. Fig. 4 illustrates the cutting tirough of the back bone.-

b Fig. 5 illustrates the pulling out of the back one.

' Fig. 6 shows the shearing knives for cutting off the stomach strips,.in s1de elevation.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section of the tool for cleaning the belly cavity.

Fig. 8 shows another form of construction. of the tool for cleaning the bell cavity. Fig. 9 shows the cutting off 0 the stomach strip.

Fig. 10 illustrates the cutting open of the tail portion,

Fig. 11 the cleaning of the belly cavity,

a .Fig. 12 the cutting free of the back bone, Fig. 13 the undercutting of the back-bone, Fig. 14 the filleting.

Fig. 15 is a vertical cross section through the plate disc. V

The machine consists of a horizontal rotating plate disc 1 such as is known in fish treating machines, the flat outwardly dlrected edges of which form an obtuse angle, and of a rotating frame 34; feeding the fishes 95 singly to the tools. In the circumference of disc 1 a groove 2 isprovided which has a notch 3 to-allow the knife to attain the nece'ssary cutting depth. Around the circumference of the. disc 1 the \m filleting the fish are arranged and driven by 1-0 1. The two knives 4, 5 are'mounted on an,

spur wheels covered with a removable metal hood 35 Fig. 1. Two shears-shaped disc knives 4, 5 and a horizontally rotating disc knife disc 6 serve for cutting open the fish' held by the tail fin a known clamp and situated with the back in thegroove 2 of disc oscillatably mounted arm 8, controlled by a spring .7, and they are driven by means of .bevel wheels 9, 10 and spur wheels 11, 12. A

guide cheek 13 is rigidly mounted on the arm Sand has an incision of V-shaped cross-section in which the belly of the fish engages so that the front belly edge lies in the vertexof the incision. The guide cheek 13 is movable in opposition to the action of the spring 7 according to the width of the fish, in swinging out t e arm 8, so that any fish can easily pass through. -Theknives 4, 5 always cut off in uniform width the .belly with the fins, which is lying in the vertex of the incision (Fig. 9), as the shear knives 4, 5 swing out together with the'guide cheek 13 in accordance with the width of the fish, so that the position of the knives 4, 5 always remains in the same relation to the incision of the guide cheek 13. A guide 14 is also mounted on the arm 8, by means of which the fish is moved,

when circulating with the plate disc1,'against the horizontal rotating knife 6 so that it is surely cut, which knife cuts open the fish from the tail root to the anus, the belly cavity of the fish havin already been 0 ened by the knives 4, 5' ig. 10). The fis is now out openialong its whole length, so that the V belly cavityis accessible and the back bone is exposed on its entire length. A vane wheel 15 is arranged behind the knife 6. The worklng edges of the ,V-shaped vanes are rough ened, serratedor the like, "and above and below. the vanes a resilient disc 16, 17 respectlvely 18 arranged which, when the vanes penetrate into the belly cavity of the fish, exert a counter pressure on the belly flaps so that the rough-edges of the vanes rub stron gly along the inside of the'belly-cavit and grip and tear out the black skin (Figs; and 11) According to Fig. -8 the tool for cleaning the bellycavity consists of an elliptic disc made of cortmdum or of an'aggregate thereof, such 7 as emery the workmg Surfaces 0i which are of the tooth disc 21, 22 exert a pulling movement on the back-bone as, whilst the fish is also rough. I

For loosening and removing the back bone from the fish a toothed disc 22 is provided,

which is pivotally mounted on the pin 19 of an arm 20 loaded by a spring v18, the teeth nected with the arm 20, the width of this kni-fe' corresponding to the space between the two toothed rin s and the front ed of which is sharpened (Figs. 2 and 3). etween the two toothed ringsa wedge-shaped tool- 25 is also fitted Figs. 2 and 3).

The toot ed disc 21, 22 is guided b a cam .the action of the spring 18 into the arm 20,

\so that the teeth 21 penetrate into the back flesh of the fish accurately at the bending point of the tail root on th sides of the back bone, the sharp edge of the knife 24 cutting through the back bone at the tail root (Fig. 4). A. short portion of the backbone remains in the tail root so as to preserve a rigid connection between the tail fin held by a clamp not shown in the drawin s) and the trunk o the fish which is to be furt or treated, tearing off of the tail fin being-thus prevented. r

The teeth 21 penetrate with their sharp point deeply into the back flesh of the fish, causing the belly bones or ribs, as also the other thin bones situated in the back flesh, to engage in the tooth gaps (Fig. 12). The toothdisc 21, 22 is driven by means of an articulated, shaft 28 and spur wheels 29, 30 (Fig. 2), and its revolving speed is approximately the same as that of the plate disc 1.

pressure against the circumference of the plate disc 1 and its movement is at the same time assisted (Fig. 5). Owin to the fact that the disc 22 bears against e back bone, the cutting depth of the teeth is at the same time regulated (Fig. 12). When the knife 24 has cut through the back bone, it is situated between the back bone and the back flesh (Figs. 5 to 13'). The teeth 21, as they push the belly bones into the tooth gaps, expose the back bone at the sides, whereas the knife 24 cuts under the back bone. The teeth 21 being carriedalong by the plate disc 1, the back bone slips between the tooth rings and .the knife 24, as the teeth 21 exert a pulling action fi the rib bones and the other fine bones connected with the bone trunk, and any parts es beyond the periphery of of bones which remain. adhering to the teeth are forced out by the tool 25. v

The adjusting screw 31,-bearing against a stop 32 mountedon' the stationary machine frame, serves for adj the of the disc 22 onto the back bone for a weaker or stronger pressure (Fig. 3).

Whilst the bone trunk, which has been eeled out, that is the back bone with the fine ellyand back-flesh bones connected therewith, is thrown out by the tool 25, the boned fish travels on. Behind the tooth disc a pivotally mounted horizontally rotatin plate knife 33 is also arranged, the edge of which extends up to the notch 3 ofthe disc 1. The cleansed and boned fish can be out along its longitudinal centre by means of this knife 33, ivgereby two fillet halves are obtained (Fig. The machine above described works the fish from the tail'end. If suitably modified, the machine can naturally be arran ed so that the fish is cut open, cleansed and cried from the head end.

I claim 1. A machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning fish comprising in combination a rotating carrier for holding fish with their bellies outward, a guiding cheek for holding the fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted coacting disc knives set at an angle to which fish are moved by the carrier and operative to cut open the fish belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the guiding cheek and said knives, a-rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery projects into the belly of the fish for operating on the surface of the belly fcavity, resilient discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure eX- ternally on the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone of the fish and a stationary knife arranged behindthe toothed disc to undercut the back bone and free the same for removalby said toothed disc.

2. A machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning fish comprising in combination a rotating carrier for holding fish with their bellies outward, a guiding cheek for holding the fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted coacting disc knives set at an angle to which fish are moved by the c rrier and operative to cut open the fish belly, a pivotall mounted arm supporting the guiding chee and said knives, a horizontally rotative knife for slitting the fish longitudinally near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a rotating vane wheel having a roughened V-shaped working edge whose periphery projects into the belly of the fish for operating on the surface of the belly cavity, resilient disc's coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally on the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone of the fish and a stationary knife arran ed behind the toothed discrotating carrier for holding fish with their bellies outward, a guiding'cheek for holding the fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted coacting disc knives set atran angle to which fish are moved by the carrier and operative to cut open the fish belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the guiding cheek and said knives, a horizontally rotative knife for slitting the fish longitudinaly near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a "rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery pro ects into the belly of the fish for operating on the surface of the belly cavity, resilient'discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally "on the'fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thinbelly and back-flesh bone of the fish, a swiveled arm on which said toothed disc is rotatively mounted, and means for maintaining the arm with the toothed disc in operative relation to fish held by the carrier.

4. A machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning fish comprising in combination a rotating carrier for holding fish with their bellies outward, a guiding cheek for holding the fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted coacting disc knives set at an angle to which fish are moved by the carrier and operative to cut open the fish belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the guiding cheek and said knives;a horizontally rotative knife for slitting the fish longitudinally near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a rotating tool having a roughened workin projects into the be ly of the fish for operating on the surface of the belly cavity, resilient discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally on the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone of the fish, the said teeth having ogival sharp pointed teeth forming rings, one of which is on each side of and extends beyond the periphery of said disc.

edge whose periphery 5. A machine for cutting open, cleaning knives, a horizontally rotative knife for slit-- ting the fish longitudinally near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a rotating tool having a. roughened working edge whose periphery projects into the belly of the fish for pper'ating on the surface of the'belly cavity, resilient discs coactingtherewith for exerting a pressure externally on the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone of the fish, the said teeth projecting beyond the peg the sh on the carrier, rotatively mounted I t' g disc knives set at an angle to which s are moved b the carrier and operative to cut open the fis belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the guiding cheek and said 'ves ,-a horizontally rotative knife for slitting the fish l ngitudinally near the tail end as the carrierhotates, a rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery projects into the belly of the fish for operating on the surface of the belly cavityfresilient discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally on the fish, a toothed discoperative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone of the fish, the said teeth projecting beyond the periphery of the disc and forming rings, the relation of parts being such that the periphery of the disc bears against and rolls on the back bone of the fish to press the fish firmly against the aforesaid rotating carrier, and a knife mounted in operative relation to the periphery of the disc and projecting between the rings, the said knife having an end cutting edge for penetrating the back bone of the fish at the root of the tail.

7. A machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning-fish comprising in combination a rotating'carrier for holding fish with their the fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted coacting disc knives set at an angle to which fish are moved b the carrier and operative to cut open the fis belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the guiding cheek'and said knives, a horizontall rotative knife for slitting the fish longitu inally near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery pro ects into the belly of the fish foropeiating on the surface of the belly cavity, resilient discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally on the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone 0f the fish, a knife projecting'between the teeth of the disc and operative to out through 1 and under the back bone to facilitate the removal of the aforesaid bones by the toothed on disc. J

' 8. A machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning fish comprising in combination a rotating carrier for holding fish with their bellies outward, a guidingv cheek for holding e5 the'fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted bellies outward, a guiding cheek for holding coacting disc knives set at an angle to which fish are moved by the carrier and operative to cut open-the fish belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the guiding cheek and said knives, a horizontall rotat1ve knife for slitting the fish longitudinally near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery projects into the belly of the fish or operating onthe surface of the belly cavity, resilient discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally on the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and backfiesh bone of the fish, a knife projecting between the teeth of the disc and operative to cut through and under the backbone to facilitate the removal of the aforesaid bones said knives, a horizontally 'rotatlve knife for slitting the fish longitudinally near the tail end as the carrier rotates, a rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery projects into thebelly of the fish for operating on the surface of the belly cavity, resilient discs coacting therewith for exerting a pressure externally 0n the fish, a toothed disc operative to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and backflesh bone of the fish, a knife projecting be tween the teeth of the disc and operative to 1 cut through and under the back bone to fa-.

cilitate the removal of theaforesaid bones by the toothed disc, a stationary tool projecting between the rings of teeth for dislodging the bones carried by the teeth, and a disc having knives projecting peripherally from its sides and located in position to operate on the fish after the boning action has occurred for cutting the fish into two fillet portions.

- lOfA machine for cutting open, cleaning and boning fish comprising in combination a rotating carrier for holding fish with their bellies outward, a guiding cheek for holding the fish on the carrier, rotatively mounted coacting disc knives set at an anglejto which fish are moved by the carrier and operative to cut open the fish belly, a pivotally mounted arm supporting the gulding cheek and said knives, a rotating tool having a roughened working edge whose periphery projects into the belly of the fish for operatlngon the surface of the belly cavity, a toothed discoperatlve to remove the back bone together with the thin belly and back-flesh bone of the fish and a. statlonary knife arranged behind the toothed disc to undercut the back bone and free the same for removal by said toothed disc. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RUDOLPH BAADER. 

